WINSTON-SALEM — Wake Forest has to shift gears in a hurry with Saturday’s game at third-ranked Clemson coming after a victory against Army.

“Clemson does have speed,” Wake Forest linebacker Justin Jackson said Tuesday. “Being fundamentally sound will cut down on some of those big plays.”

The first third of the season for Wake Forest (2-2 overall, 0-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) figured to be the easiest to navigate. But the Demon Deacons needed a strong second half at Army just to come out even in those four games.

Coach Jim Grobe called the mood more relief than elation for the Demon Deacons.

“I was concerned because there was so much pressure on our guys,” Grobe said.

Defense has been Wake Forest’s calling card, particularly after keeping Army out of the end zone for the entire game.

Now the Demon Deacons go from facing Army’s run-oriented attack to Clemson’s diverse and fast-paced approach.

“This is probably the fifth different offense (we’ll go against),” Wake Forest coach Jim Grobe said, referring to the team’s fifth game of the season. “This is a completely new challenge.

“You have to go down there and play really well. You can’t play this football team and play well on just one side of the ball. You’re not going to get it done.”

Grobe said cornerback Merrill Noel’s foot injury, which caused him to miss snaps against Army, shouldn’t prevent him from playing this week.

The Demon Deacons figure to need all the help they can muster. They’ve lost 32 consecutive games against teams ranked in the top 5 nationally.